David A. Attisani

“receives praise from across the board for his reinsurance and insurance expertise. Clients say he is phenomenal on his feet … his presentation style and trial skills are incredible”

Chambers USA

“a seasoned litigator … an extremely effective reinsurance dispute lawyer, skillful and able to provide a responsive service and imaginative advice”

The Legal 500

David Attisani is co-chairman of the firm’s Insurance & Reinsurance Group, one of the leading practices of its kind in the US, which is top-ranked by Reactions (#1 reinsurance and litigation firm in 2012) and by The 2013 Legal 500 guide to preeminent law firms. He is also co-chairman of the ABA’s Reinsurance Subcommittee, and a member of the ARIAS-US Education Committee (2013-present).

In 2014, Mr. Attisani was the first ever Boston-area attorney to be recognized in the Chambers USA nationwide rankings for Reinsurance. He was also named one of Law360's "10 Most Admired Insurance Attorneys in America" for 2010—out of 1016 nominations from 100 firms. He was also elected to The International Who’s Who of Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyers (2005-2013), and to the World’s Leading Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers (2006-2013). Mr. Attisani was also elected to Best of the Best USA (2009-2013) in Insurance & Reinsurance, which recognizes only 30 US industry professionals. He is one of only 12 reinsurance lawyers listed in The 2013 Legal 500’s elite “Leading Lawyers” category, a designation he also received in 2012 and 2011. Mr. Attisani is listed in Best Lawyers in America for Insurance Law (2012-2014), and as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer.

Mr. Attisani is also a fellow in the American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel, a group of preeminent insurance and reinsurance lawyers in the US and Canada. Membership is by nomination only and is limited to 1,000 lawyers who must have at least 15 years of experience.

In 2010-2011, represented 14 different reinsurers located in Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States in domestic litigation involving ECO, XPL, and allocation disputes.

In June 2010, obtained summary adjudication award for Top 10 reinsurer in net retention dispute.

Successfully represented major domestic cedent in three arbitration matters and collected more than $60M in principal reimbursements, plus interest, from 2006-2008.

Argued summary judgment on behalf of Swiss Re in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts in 2003 and in the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in 2005.Commercial Union Ins. Company. v. Swiss Reinsurance America Corporation

Obtained dismissals for two Bermudan MGA’s in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York and Second Circuit in 2000-2001. Odyssey Re (London) Limited v. Stirling Cooke Brown Holdings Limited (“Sphere Drake”).

Publications and Presentations

Mr. Attisani is the 2012 reinsurance editor of the Appleman Insurance treatise. He has served on the faculty at ARIAS-US (leading trade association for the insurance and reinsurance arbitration industry), the Excess & Surplus Lines Claims Association (now, IACP), Mealey’s Reinsurance, ABIR (Association of Bermuda Insurers & Reinsurers), the ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Midyear Meeting, Perrin Conferences (London 2012), the PWC/Hawksmere Reinsurance Congress (Bermuda) and other seminars. Mr. Attisani co-chaired the Spring 2012 ARIAS Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, and the Fall 2006 ARIAS Meeting in New York City. He has been quoted in various trade publications and written several articles, including:

Professional and Community Involvement

Mr. Attisani is a member of the Massachusetts and American Bar Associations. He served as a special prosecutor in the Suffolk County (City of Boston) District Attorney’s Office, where he tried nineteen cases to verdict.

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